Southland Business Awards Celebrate Local Success
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Southland’s leading businesses were honoured at the 2025 Datagrid Southland Business Excellence Awards, held on Friday 19th September at a sold-out gala at Ascot Park Hotel. More than 400 business leaders, sponsors, and supporters attended the event to celebrate innovation, leadership, and performance across the region’s commercial landscape.
Traffic Management Services (TMS) took home the Supreme Award, presented by Datagrid NZ, as well as the Workplace Safety Award sponsored by Rio Tinto NZAS. Judges praised TMS for “the way it lives excellence end-to-end—clear leadership, robust systems, and a genuine people-first culture.”
The judges highlighted how “safety is embedded in everyday operations and strengthened through practical innovations that reduce risk across the board.” Under the leadership of Kerrian and Lara Simpson, the company has expanded from four to nearly 30 staff in just four years while maintaining a flawless record of zero notifiable incidents.
WM Environmental was another standout, claiming two awards: Small Business of the Year and the Primary Industry Excellence Award. Judges said, “WM Environmental impressed us with a courageous reset and disciplined execution—turning a clear strategy into weekly rhythms, commercial rigour, and measurable results.”
Their work in the primary sector was recognised for demonstrating innovation with real-world impact and strong growth potential. The company supports farmers, processors, and transporters with end-to-end environmental planning and compliance. Their recent advances include launching a Pond Drop Test workstream and investing in a team wellbeing programme.
Other award winners included Road Runner Panel and Paint (Trade Industries), Hayz at The Anchorage (Consumer Services), The Headache Clinic (Professional Services and Innovation), Insert Coin to Play Charitable Trust (Not for Profit), and Finance Now Ltd (Workplace Wellbeing).
Special individual honours went to Grant Lightfoot of Kiwi Econet (One to Watch) and Calvin Claridge of South Fish (Excellence in Export). Haylee-Chanel Simeon was recognised twice—for Local Food Champion and as the Reece McDonald Local Legend.
Southland Business Chamber CEO Sheree Carey acknowledged the strength of the region’s entries and the contributions of the awards’ sponsors. She also noted the judges’ careful and rigorous decision-making process, which helped spotlight businesses making a difference across Southland.